


I'll Be Home For Gyftmas

by perniciousLizard



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Dadster, Gift Giving, Gyftmas, M/M, Secret Santa, Undertale Secret Santa 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-29 22:18:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15082910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perniciousLizard/pseuds/perniciousLizard
Summary: Papyrus has no idea what to get his newly-returned father Gaster for Gyftmas.  Undyne decides to help him pick the perfect gift.  When the two of them are out on the town, they run into Gaster on a date with Grillby and realize they have a great opportunity to puzzle out the ideal gift.





	I'll Be Home For Gyftmas

**Author's Note:**

> This was a [secret santa gift](http://undertalesecretsanta.tumblr.com/) for [fleeting-phantasm](http://fleeting-phantasm.tumblr.com/). The prompt was for pacifist Undyne and Papyrus being buddies, or for dapper!Gaster and Grillby, so I decided to combine the ideas into this fic.

Multicolored lights glittered on the town’s enormous Gyftmas tree.  Some traditions held on, even with monsters scattered all over the surface.  If there was monster from Snowdin around, when the weather turned cold, a tree would appear overnight in the center of town.

Papyrus tiptoed towards the tree.  His boots crushed loudly in the snow, but he couldn’t see anyone around, so the noise didn’t matter.  He drew a few boxes out of his inventory and set them in exactly the correct and most aesthetically pleasing spots beneath the boughs.  

That done, he searched for boxes with his own name on it.  "NYEH-HEH,“ he whispered, whenever he spotted one.  

He registered a distant rumble, almost like an earthquake.  Undyne must be getting close!  Papyrus hurried back to the house to make sure it was still neat.  Sans was home and it had been five minutes since Papyrus had left, so he could not be entirely sure.  

The rumble turned into the familiar sound of an engine.  He hadn’t made it to the house yet when he heard his name shouted, with rapidly increasing volume.  

"UNDYNE!” He spun around in the driveway.  

The car screeched off the road and was headed straight towards him.  Papyrus jumped over it.  Breaks squealed behind him and he could smell burning rubber.  Undyne kicked her car door open and rolled out onto the gravel driveway.

“I AM NOT 100% CERTAIN THAT WAS SAFE!”  Papyrus said.  

“I know!  Cool, right?”  She hopped to her feet.  The car rolled to a stop. “You know what ELSE is cool?”

“HMMM…OH!  IT MUST BE ME!  PAPYRUS!”  He took out a pair of sunglasses and put them on.  Perfect!  

“Yeah,” she agreed.  "But, also -“  Undyne grinned, wide.  "SNOW WRESTLING!”

“THAT ISN’T - AUGH!”  Undyne plowed into him at full speed.  His face met snow.  "I LOVE YOU TOO, UNDYNE,“ he said, his voice muffled.

"Gross!” She laughed.  "I missed you too, though.  I  _guess_.“

"REALLY?  OF COURSE YOU MISSED THE GREAT PAPYRUS!  EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE A WIFE AND A NEW JOB TO KEEP YOU BUSY,  _OF COURSE_ YOU FOUND YOURSELF TRAGICALLY BEREFT WITHOUT MY CONSTANT PRESENCE.”   Tears started to well up in his eye sockets.  He hadn’t been worried.  Of course not!  No one could ever forget about him.  

“Yup.  Alphys hates noogies.”  Undyne scoffed.  

“I REALLY HATE THEM TOO.”

“Let’s get inside before I freeze my scales off!”  She yanked him back to his feet.  "And then you can tell me all about…whatever your problem is!“

"OH, WELL. THAT WASN’T…SOMETHING YOU NEEDED TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE TO HELP WITH.  THOUGH OF COURSE I APPRECIATE THE SENTIMENT!”

She whacked him on his back.  "Of course I did!  Come on!“  She picked him back up off the ground and they went inside.  

Sans was sitting at the kitchen table, eating cereal out of the box.  "hey.”

“Look who’s up early!”  Undyne said.  "And it’s only seven PM!“

"SANS, I DUSTED THE KITCHEN TEN MINUTES AGO, AND NOW THERE ARE CEREAL CRUMBS ON THE TABLE?”

“whoops.  jeez. a guy can tell when he isn’t wanted.”  Sans wiped away an imaginary tear.  "guess i’ll just go.“  He stayed where he was and dug further into the box.  "why’d she come over?  it seems kinda… _fishy_ , heh, so close to the holidays."  

"Papyrus is in trouble!”

“IT IS NOT QUITE… _THAT_  DRAMATIC.”

Sans stopped chewing.  "man, what’s up?  you can tell us.“  He offered the box of cereal.

"NO THANK YOU. AND.  I…ALREADY DISCUSSED THIS WITH YOU, SANS.  I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO GET OUR FATHER FOR GYFTMAS!”

“i gave you a million suggestions, though.”

“YOU GAVE ME ONE AND IT WAS A JOKE!  THIS IS HIS FIRST HOLIDAY BACK FROM THE COLD EMPTY VOID, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE IT IS SPECIAL!  IN THE WAY THAT ONLY THE GREAT PAPYRUS CAN!”  Remembering to ask for help when he needed it was how he always managed to stay on top.

“right."  

"What’s your weird dad like to do?”  Undyne asked.  

“SPEND TIME WITH ME, PAPYRUS!  AND ALSO SANS.  RIGHT NOW HE IS OUT WITH HIS…DOT DOT DOT… _FRIEND_.  SO HE ALSO ENJOYS THE COMPANY OF HIS ELLIPSIS FRIEND."  

"also hangs out with his, uh, non italicized pals,” Sans said.  "does more of that than talking about stuff he wants to buy.  eh, just get him like…a number one dad hat.  he’ll be over the moon.“  

"BUT WHAT IF HE AND GRILLBY GET MARRIED AND I SUDDENLY HAVE TWO FATHERS?  I DON’T WANT TO CAUSE A RIFT BETWEEN THEM SO EARLY IN THEIR MARRIAGE!  I WILL LOVE THEM BOTH EQUALLY!”

“it’s a pickle, i guess.”

“A REAL CONUNDRUM!  A PUZZLE BEFITTING EVEN THE GREAT - ”  Papyrus broke off as he watched Sans draw a jar of pickles from his hoodie.  He sighed.  “UNDYNE, YOU HAVE ALREADY SUCCESSFULLY FINISHED GYFTMAS SHOPPING, SO I AM DESPERATELY TURNING TO YOU AND AWAY FROM MY BROTHER IN MY HOUR OF NEED!"  

"I don’t blame you!”  Undyne said, laughing.  "Let’s get the hell out of here.“  She accepted a pickle and skewered it on her fangs while Papyrus rushed off to grab his shopping bag, purse, and an enormous folder filled with holiday coupons.  "SHOTGUN!” she yelled when he got back.  "I’m sick of driving!“  

"you guys better hurry up,” Sans said.  "gyftmas is barely a month away.  never expected you to be such a lazybones, bro.“

Papyrus slammed the door on the way out.  A minute later he peeked back in and said he probably wouldn’t be back in time for dinner and that Sans should remember to eat something healthy.

–

In a small, secluded booth in the back of an aging human bar, the air was hot and still. The only sound was Grillby’s gentle crackling.  The noise of him had seemed so loud when Gaster first escaped the void, but now it was just background noise, like the rumble of cars driving by outside or the quiet conversations in the other parts of the bar.

Grillby reached across the table and touched the cool white bone of Gaster’s hand.  Gaster smiled, uneven, and leaned in closer.  

”………“ Grillby asked him if he needed to get home soon.

Gaster shook his head.  He took back his hand so he could sign.  ”[But maybe I should.]“

He could tell Grillby was disappointed from the way his flames seemed to die down slightly, even though he had to be at work himself in a few hours.  

”[Who cares if I should?]“ he decided.

The early evening was clear, so they decided to take a walk down the main street.  The local human winter holiday was near the same time as Gyftmas and the stores were decorated.  They weren’t the only people out window shopping.  Gaster ignored the humans staring at him and Grillby when they went into a men’s clothing store.

He’d spent so long away from anything bright or colorful, he found himself charmed by a display of -  honestly - quite ugly Christmas ties.  Grillby looked from him to the ties and just shook his head.  

”[They Suit You.]“  

”……no.“

There was one with an entire inside scene on it.  A beautifully decorated Gyftmas tree stood next to a roaring hearth.  Two dogs slept in front of the fire. All on one tie.  Gaster pointed to that one.

”………no.“

”[It’s You.]“

”…don’t insult me.“

Gaster cackled.  He would hate to see Grillby actually wear it, but thinking about how he’d react if he opened a box on Gyftmas Day and found the tie on it was putting him in a good mood.  

Grillby was looking at him like he knew exactly what he was thinking, and didn’t approve.

A loud gasp behind them startled them.  Grillby’s flames leapt up towards the ceiling and Gaster felt himself sink into a coat rack in an automatic impulse to hide.

"WHAT AN AMAZING COINCIDENCE!”  Gaster couldn’t see him, but he recognized Papyrus’ voice.

Embarrassed, Gaster emerged from his hiding place.  They’d lucked out this time and Grillby hadn’t set off the sprinkler system.  

“Kind of ironic actually!”  Undyne was grinning.

“NO I WOULD NOT SAY IT IS IRONIC AT ALL,” Papyrus said, giving her a sharp look.

“OH!  Right, yeah.  Just, a standard, every day coincidence.”

“ABSOLUTELY MUNDANE!”

“I’m about to fall asleep thinking about how boring a surprise this was, to run into these guys, here, right now!"  

Grillby nodded at Papyrus, then at Undyne, and then sunk back.  Gaster wasn’t sure how to convince him that Papyrus didn’t have any problem with them dating, and that Sans was just pretending to disapprove to con Grillby out of free burgers.  

"I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED YOU WERE HERE WHEN I CAME IN THE BUILDING AND IT SMELLED SUSPICIOUSLY OF GREASE!”  Papyrus sounded cheerful, but no wonder Grillby didn’t believe him.

“We should get the hell out of here and get something to eat,” Undyne said. “You’re right.  That smell is making me hungry!”  She aimed her toothy smile at Grillby.  "I want to fill a bathtub with the greasy cheese you use on your fries and just SWIM in it!“

Papyrus shuddered. "SUDDENLY MY APPETITE HAS DISAPPEARED ENTIRELY.”

“[Still, as your Father, I am telling you to get something to eat.]” Gaster said. “[You are almostSKIN AND BONES.]”

Papyrus sighed. “THIS IS THE LIFE I HAVE TO LIVE NOW, UNDYNE."  

She patted him on the arm.

"I CAN BARELY STOMACH IT!”  He waved over the open spot between his shirt and his ripped holiday daisy dukes.  "NYEH HEH HEH!“  

Gaster cackled along with him.

"Quit messing around!  I need to rip into something before I pass out!  And we have work to do,”  Undyne said.  "C'mon!“  She grabbed Papyrus by the arm and started to pull him away.

Grillby waved goodbye.  Gaster looked at him and shrugged.

”…gyftmas shopping?“  Grillby guessed.

”[Oh.  That makes sense.]“  

Grillby spotted a display of holiday vests with muted colors and designs compared to the ties.  He hurried over, visibly excited.  

Gaster was too caught up in the excitement of browsing menswear to notice the odd rattling noise that followed the two of them as they walked throughout the store.  

–

Undyne pulled Papyrus out of hearing range and then yanked him down onto the floor behind a shoulder-high slacks display.  She knelt next to him.  "This is PERFECT.”

“THERE ARE NUMEROUS RESTAURANTS ON MAIN STREET THAT HAVE HEALTHY AND CALCIUM-RICH MEAL CHOICES,” Papyrus said, worried.  He didn’t know why they were on the floor, but he assumed Undyne had a reason. She always did, even if her reasons were not, well, always  _good_  reasons.  Or, to be more diplomatic, they were not always the quality of reason that Papyrus would expect from someone who used to be head of the royal guard.  That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to go along with whatever she was planning, however.  

“Shhh, shut up, we aren’t eating yet,” Undyne said.  "And we have to quit talking about it before I really do get hungry!“

"THIS MUST BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO BE SO RUDE.”

“Sorry!  But, it is!  I hatched a plan while we were talking to your old man - like, a really DEVIOUS and CALCULATING one!  I can’t wait to tell Alphys about it - she’s always getting into those kinds of characters and slapping posters of their faces on our bedroom wall.”

“I SEE!"  Papyrus sat up.  "I KNEW I COULD COUNT ON YOU, UNDYNE!”

“I wasn’t going to let my friend down!”  She rubbed her knuckles on the top of his skull.  "See, we’re going to follow them - and stay really really quiet - and watch what stuff your dad looks interested in! It’s perfect, and it’s guaranteed that whatever you get him will be a surprise AND he’ll want it!“  

"THAT PLAN IS AMAZING!”  Papyrus said, clasping his gyftmas-tree shaped gloves together.  "IT IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE PLAN I WAS CONSIDERING!  AND THEN YOU SAID YOU WERE HUNGRY, SO I THOUGHT WE WERE NOT GOING TO DO IT!  BUT THEN IT JUST TURNED OUT THAT YOU WERE BEING  _EXTRA_  DEVIOUS AND TRICKING EVEN ME INTO THINKING IT WAS NOT GOING TO BE THE PLAN!“  

"Uh, right!” Undyne grinned.  "Step one is convincing them we left!“

"CHECK!”

“Step two is, uh…tracking them down in the store without letting them know we’re there!”

“HM…THAT WILL BE OF CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTY.  LIKE UNTWISTING NOODLES WITHOUT BREAKING A SINGLE STRAND, WE MUST TAKE GREAT CARE AT EVERY STEP.   EVEN ONE OVERLY-LOUD WORD WILL BETRAY US!  AND OUR MISSION!”

“Yeah!  But we can definitely do it!”

“OF COURSE!  FOR I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!  AND YOU ARE…THE NEARLY AS GREAT FRIEND OF PAPYRUS!”

She leaned down. “Ok.”  Undyne spoke in a low whisper.  "Let’s quit messing around, and get this over with so we can go out and get some burgers.“

"OR SOME - ” Papyrus broke off and started again, in a whisper.  "OR SOMETHING HEALTHY AND NOT DISGUSTING.“  His whisper was the same volume as his regular way of speaking, but he hissed while he spoke.

"Uh…why don’t we practice hand signals!  And not say anything once we’ve started.” Undyne snuck out from behind the slacks display and waved for Papyrus to follow.  

Oh!  A hand signal! Papyrus hurried after her, still partially crouched.  A hamster monster wearing a store badge hovered by the display, uneasily watching them.  

“SHH,” Papyrus said.  "YOU DID NOT SEE OR HEAR US.“

The monster nodded, slowly.  He started folding pants.

–

Grillby could tell they were being followed.  How could anyone miss it?  He turned and gave his incompetent tail a long look, but they seemed to decide that he was looking over their heads.

Gaster was too intent on deciding between three different hats, and didn’t seem to notice.  

”……Gaster.“

”[SHHHH.  NOT NOW.]“

Fine.  Grillby was more annoyed at Gaster shushing him than he was at being followed.  He decided to keep it to himself.  

”[I think this one suits you,]“ Gaster said.  He took a white panama hat off the display and set it on Grillby’s burning head.  

”…I don’t like hats.“  The irritation faded away, now that he knew Gaster was looking at something for him.  He removed it and set it back.  He wasn’t going to burn it, but the people working there were uneasy about him trying things on.  He didn’t want to make their day more difficult than it had to be during the holiday season.  

”[A shame.]“

Grillby glanced at Papyrus, who was peering out from inside a circular rack of coats. ”…do you like any of them for yourself?“

Gaster shook his head, and then seemed to reconsider.  He tried on a few more.  

Grillby waited until Gaster was staring at himself in the mirror, and then he turned towards Papyrus and pointed at the hat on Gaster’s head.  He gave a single stoic nod.  

He thought that pointing out a gift would get Papyrus to leave him and Gaster alone. He gave up on that idea after half an hour.  He caught a glimpse of some paper in Papyrus’ hand.  

”[Are you bored?]“  Gaster signed.  ”[Usually you enjoy this.]“

”……I feel like we’re being watched.“  

Gaster gave him as serious a look as his odd features could manage.  He touched Grillby on the arm. ”[Do not let the humans get to you.]“

Grillby sighed. ”……I won’t.“

”[But let’s continue this when there is no crowd.]“

He nodded.

”[I wonder where my son went to eat?]“  Gaster took out his phone and started to call.

For a second, Grillby heard a ringtone, and then the sound was gone.  Grillby looked up and thought he saw something small flying through the air towards the back of the store.  

”[No answer.]“

”…if they went, they’d be done by now.“

”[True.  But he always answers in two rings.]“  Gaster shook his head.  ”[Except when his battery dies.]“

”…it’s normal to worry, but…I’m sure he is fine.“

Gaster gave him a crooked smile and nodded.  

A rack of clothes tipped over and Papyrus burst out of the mess.  "MY APOLOGIES FOR MISSING YOUR CALL, FATHER!  I THINK UNDYNE…DROPPED MY PHONE SOMEPLACE IN THIS STORE!  …DID YOU SEE IT?”

“[How did you -]”

“I……HEARD YOU TALKING AS I WALKED BY!  THIS STORY SURE IS BELIEVABLE…IS WHAT YOU ARE THINKING RIGHT NOW!”

“I believe it!” Undyne said, popping out of the clothes on the floor.  "Hey, why don’t you call his phone again, so we can see if we can track the ring tone!“

"BRILLIANT IDEA, UNDYNE!"  

Gaster shrugged. ”[Let us all get something to eat after we find it.]“

"Great!  I could still eat like a thousand burgers,” Undyne said.  

Grillby covered his face with his hands.  "…yes.  Let’s just…leave.“  

”[Grillby is shy around these humans,]“ Gaster explained.  

"I WAS NOT AWARE THAT GRILLBY WAS SHY!  IT MUST BE DIFFICULT TO FULFILL SUCH A SOCIAL ROLE, AS A BARTENDER!  GRILLBY, I HAVE NEWFOUND RESPECT FOR YOU AND I AM HAPPY YOU ARE TRYING SO HARD TO OVERCOME YOUR LIMITATIONS.”

“…thank you.” Grillby was not used to being called “shy.”  "…sometimes people are difficult.“  That was true, at least.

"WHAT WAS THAT?”

“[Grillby thanked you.]”

“IT WAS THE VERY LEAST I COULD DO, BUT I AM AWARE THAT IT WAS STILL A LOT.  SINCE EVERYTHING I DO IS TINGED WITH GREATNESS.”

They all went and got burgers over Papyrus’ loud objections.  Papyrus ordered a salad and a milkshake and complained about the overpowering grease smell.  

After Undyne polished off her weight in hamburgers and cheese fries, she tossed some money on the table.  "I still have a billion errands to run!  Thanks for the food, though.“

Papyrus looked confused.  "I THOUGHT WE WERE–”

Undyne elbowed his head.  

“–AH, YES!  I REMEMBER NOW.  THANK YOU FOR…KNOCKING MY MEMORY LOOSE FOR ME, UNDYNE.”  He narrowed his eye sockets.  "AND WE SHOULD…STOP INTERRUPTING YOUR DATE!  THERE ARE MANY STEPS FROM FRIEND TO BOYFRIEND TO BECOMING THE STEP FATHER OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AND I WOULD NOT WANT TO DELAY IT EVEN FOR A MINUTE.“

"Oh my god, Papyrus, let’s just go!"  

"THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I’M SUGGESTING!”

Grillby watched them run out of the building.  Through the large pane glass window, he saw them hurry right back into the store they’d just left.  He looked back at Gaster, and noticed he was obliviously fussing with his phone.

“……I’m tired,” Grillby said.  He still had a full night of work ahead of him.

“[Let me take you back home.]”

Grillby nodded.  He liked when they walked together, and he could make sure Gaster didn’t get too cold.  He kept his arm over Gaster’s shoulders.

–

Gaster was singing.

It was more like humming, with a strange high staticy buzz that almost seemed to form words when Undyne concentrated.  He signed along with his humming.

“[OH.  THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL.]”

Grillby was next to him in a neat green sweater.  Someone (Sans) had stuck several bows to his back, and he hadn’t noticed.  There was also one stuck to the side of his glasses that he  _had_  noticed, but he had left it where it was.  

“[BUT THE FIRE IS SO DELIGHTFUL.]"  

Grillby tinged blue under his glasses.  He playfully pushed Gaster away.  

Papyrus kicked open the kitchen door and burst in, carrying an enormous fruit cake on a silver platter.  "AND SINCE THERE’S NO PLACE TO GO,”  He sang.  

Sans, dozing on the couch next to Undyne, mumbled along with the last line.  "let it snow.“

"LET IT SNOW!”

“[LET IT SNOW.]

That was freaking adorable.  Undyne wanted to punch the couch cushions into fluff. Gaster leaned towards Grillby and blinked at him like he was trying to bat his non-existent eyelashes.  Grillby turned even more blue and gave him a very quick smooch.  

"Alphys!"   Undyne turned away from boring Sans towards the love of her life, on her other side.

Alphys was in the middle of chugging a mug full of alcoholic cider.  She coughed and said, "Uh…Undyne!  Y-yes?”

“This place is so FULL of the holiday spirit, it feels like it’s going to EXPLODE with it any minute now!  We have to open presents before it’s too late!”

Alphys laughed. “It’s a real emergency!"  

"I need you to see what I got you!”  Undyne sighed.  Toriel was still in the kitchen with Frisk.

“W-well…how about we give each other…a tiny present beforehand?  To, uh, release some of the pressure?  I can go first.”

“WHAT YOU ARE DISCUSSING SOUNDS VERY ILLEGAL,” Papyrus commented, but he didn’t appear to be particularly bothered.

“Lay it on me!” Undyne said.  She held out her hand, assuming Alphys had whatever small gift it was in her inventory.

“Uh…ok. I’ll…just…”  She turned red and took Undyne’s hand.  Alphys’ glasses fogged up in embarrassment as she gave Undyne’s fingers a quick smooch.  

“HEY!” Undyne grinned.  "No fair giving me the best present first!  And I got you the same thing, too, which TOTALLY ruins the surprise!“

They kept each other distracted until it was time to open their other, easier to wrap presents.  

This  _was_  Gaster’s first Gyftmas since his return, so Undyne wasn’t surprised when present opening got slogged down during his turn.  She settled in.

"your turn, bro,” Sans said, after Gaster had opened his poorly wrapped gag gift. 

“I WILL RETURN SHORTLY!”  Papyrus fled the room and Undyne jumped up to help.  

He had ten different boxes, and nothing was breakable, but she didn’t want him flinging them around the house after she’d helped him pick them out.  They ran back and dumped the whole load of them onto Gaster’s lap.  His lap wasn’t large enough to hold them, so a couple rolled over to Grillby.

“man, don’t sell yourself  _short_ ,” Sans said.  "carrying all those was a  _tall order_.“

"YES I SUPPOSE I DID RETURN TALL-Y,” Papyrus allowed.  

“[What is all this?]”  Gaster asked.  He opened the first box he put his hands on and took out a soft black turtleneck.  Papyrus had written “NUMBER ONE GASTER” in glittering fabric paint on it, instead of the preferable but risky “NUMBER ONE DAD.”  "[Oh.  That is very sweet.  Thank you.]“

The next box had the dapper looking hat they had watched him seriously consider. Papyrus had written "COOL DAD” on this one.  One by one, Gaster removed each of the items of clothing from their wrapping, and held them up to show off the slogans Papyrus had painted on.  Undyne couldn’t tell from Gaster’s face how he felt about them.  

He finally noticed the card, lost in all the boxes, taped to some now loose wrapping paper.  Gaster opened it up and seemed to read over it a few times before setting it down.  Black globular tears started to pour out of his eye sockets and Grillby shuffled away and held out a handkerchief to him at a safe distance.  "[THANK YOU, SON.]“  He sniffed and blew into the handkerchief.

They passed the card around, but Undyne didn’t have to read it.  She’d sat by while Papyrus paced around trying to figure out the correct wording, and she’d giving him her reassurances that he was saying the right thing.

_FATHER,_

_I CANNOT IMAGINE A BETTER PRESENT FOR MYSELF THAN HAVING YOU WITH US FOR GYFTMAS THIS YEAR.  I HOPE ALL THESE GIFTS ARE ENOUGH TO SHOW MY GRATITUDE._

_PAPYRUS_

Toriel opened her presents next, to give Gaster a little time to settle down, and Grillby shifted back over to sit right next to him.  He said something, quiet, and Gaster rested his head on Grillby’s shoulder.

Undyne watched Grillby quietly set a box in Gaster’s hand, and Gaster took out his own gift and handed it to Grillby.  Undyne looked away and gave them a moment of privacy to exchange their gifts.  

-

The adults had all had a little too much cider by the time the last gift was opened and properly cooed over.  Undyne crumpled up the wrapping paper into one huge ball and left to slam dunk it into the outside garbage.

Papyrus thought she was taking a little too long.  He found her in the kitchen with a mouth stuffed full of Toriel’s famous snail puffs that she too-rapidly swallowed when Papyrus opened the door.  

"Hey!"  she said, voice raspy, tears leaking out the corner of her eye.

"GYFTMAS IS A VERY EMOTIONAL HOLIDAY FOR EVERYONE,” Papyrus said.

“Y-yeah!” Undyne said, coughing.  "Man, I don’t know what it is with booze, but I want to eat half the food in this house, and right now!“

Papyrus didn’t like to hear that anyone was hungry around him, so he let her have some of the chips from one of the bags Sans always seemed to open but was always too lazy to finish.  This way, she wouldn’t be eating food that was meant for later.  No one wanted to see Toriel in a bad mood.

"UNDYNE.  I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR COMING BY SO QUICKLY TO HELP ME WHEN I NEEDED IT THE MOST,” Papyrus said.  "I THINK IT MUST HAVE BEEN FATE, BECAUSE I DOUBT ANY OTHER TIME WE WOULD HAVE RUN INTO THEM.“

"I mean, they go into that exact store all the time.  That’s why you thought you’d find something he liked there.”

“YES!  THE TIDES OF FATE WERE IN OUR FAVOR, AND IT WAS WITH YOUR AID THAT I WAS ABLE TO MAKE THIS THE BEST GYFTMAS EVER.  IN QUITE LIKELY THE ENTIRE WORLD.  FOR ANYONE.”

“Yeah, it was really great.  Man, Papyrus, you’ve been a really good friend, you know?”  She crumpled up the chip bag and tossed it.  It landed in the trash can without hitting the sides.  "And now I’m getting emotional!  What the hell!  It’s gotta be the booze!  What did she put in this stuff?“

"YOU ARE FEELING EMOTIONAL BECAUSE YOU RIGHTFULLY LOVE ME VERY MUCH,” Papyrus said.  "IT’S OKAY!  LET IT ALL OUT!“  He gave her a hug.

She sniffed, just once, and then hugged him back so hard he felt something crack.  "Of course I love you, you gangly nerd!”

“OH NO!  NOW THERE IS SOMETHING IN MY EYE SOCKETS!”

“Like you said!  Let it all out!”

Papyrus cried on her shoulder and loudly blew his nose hole on the wad of paper towels she handed to him.  "I NEVER IMAGINED I WOULD HAVE SO MANY GOOD FRIENDS.  WELL.  I MEAN, I IMAGINED, OF COURSE, BUT…IT IS BETTER THAN I IMAGINED!  AND YOU ARE THE BEST FRIEND OF THEM ALL.  THE GREATEST AMONGST THOSE WHO ARE GREAT ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED A LIFELONG COMPANION OF SOMEONE SUCH AS ME.“

"Wow, Papyrus.” She laughed.  "You sap!  Let’s get back to the party before we start to get weird about it.“

"YOU’RE THE FETTUCCINE TO MY ALFREDO,” Papyrus said.

“Yeah, that’s it.  I’ll spaghetti your bolognese if we don’t get back to the party."  

"I DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.  BUT IT SOUNDS NICE!”

“Well, it sure isn’t!"  

There was a half-tipsy cheer when the two of them returned to the crowded living room.  


End file.
